You probably don’t know this, but I took a blogging break this past July. I think I wrote a total of two posts, which is very unusual for me as I love writing. I debated on writing this post because it is more personal. However, I decided that this is MY blog, and I haven’t sat down and written fully for awhile even though I love doing so.

Since I have tons of backup posts, you probably didn’t realize much as I just kept pushing those out! I tend to publish more beauty posts than food posts now, but mostly my drafts were food posts, which is why there was an influx of those. Am I the only one that saves drafts in case I go radio silent?

Anyway, the major reason why I rarely blogged was that in the third week of June-ish, my grandma got admitted into the hospital. She had been in the ER a couple times this year already, with the cause always being a really bad cough to the point where she couldn’t breathe. Normally, she would go back home after a couple days of observation. This time, she ended up being in the hospital for almost a month. Her health progressed worse every day, and we all became increasingly concerned for her. She was already in the hospital for two weeks before we found out she had a tumour in her lungs that was causing the coughing and breathing difficulties. We were told that the tumour was small, and could be treated with radiation. So, my grandma started doing radiation. At this point, all of us visited her whenever we could. After school, I would make my way to the hospital and someone would always be there with her. All of my spare time was spent with my grandma, but I did not mind a single bit because I love her and don’t want her to feel lonely in the hospital.

Suddenly, things went downhill for us. We were told that she had a 12-14 cm tumour behind her lungs, which is a pretty huge tumour. We were also told that the cancer had began to spread. Her health was failing really quick. She barely had enough energy to lift up her arm to wave to us, yet alone talk or eat.

Then came the most terrible news. The doctors told us that her time with us was very limited. What started out as a trip to the ER for a bad cough, turned out to be the most horrible thing we could imagine. My grandma was to be transferred to palliative care. Her body was too weak to continue with the radiation or treatment. The only option was to keep her as comfortable as possible until the fight was over. On July 16th at 8:25, my amazing, strong, and selfless grandma took her last breath, surrounded by her family that she had worked so hard to raise.

The rest of the month was a blur. I spent most of the time preparing the eulogy, grieving, looking at old pictures and knowing how lucky I was to have her as my grandma. As you could imagine, blogging and writing was the last thing on my mind. Even though I love my blog and it is one of my proudest accomplishments, I barely had the effort to log in to publish a draft, but I didn’t want this place to be a field full of crickets.It’s hard to believe that my grandma is not here with us anymore. She loved her family more than anything in the world. She would spend all day cooking for us, making enough food to feed a hungry army, plus more. She had such a sweet smile and laugh. Despite missing her terribly, I know that she is no longer suffering.

Pohpoh, thank you for all that you’ve done for me and the family. I’ve never met a family more tight knit and close as ours, and it was because you and grandpa raised everyone so well. Some days are harder than others, but there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of you. The past year without grandpa was hard for you, so I am very glad you get to be reunited with your best friend again. I love you.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really realized how important it is to have quality over quantity when it comes to friendships. This month was very difficult, but it made me realize that I am surrounded by amazing people. From checking in on me to giving words of support, you know who you guys know who you are and I really appreciate your care and concern for me.

For the rest of the summer, I am almost done my full time school. I seriously wonder how I was able to hand in all my term papers and assignments on time with all the stress I was going through. Once school ends and I push through this last grind of finals, I plan on just relaxing, relaxing, and more relaxing (aka blogging). Two more weeks to go!

For myself, a new year is not marked by the snow, chill, and Christmas decorations being reluctantly torn down. Instead, a new year is marked by the gradual transition from blue and sunny skies to crisp and fresh air, and trading shorts for leggings. Granted, I’ve been a student for almost all of my life and the end of summer/beginning of fall has always been symbolic for fresh starts, better habits, and winding down after all the summer fun. I am sure my mind will shift once I graduate from university and enter the ‘real world’ but for now, I am quite liking the mindset of starting fresh in September.

—-

Through worthwhile conversations with close friends, I have realized the importance of working on and improving yourself to be the best person you can possibly be. To give this some context, one of my closest friends told me that in order to show and care for others, you must first work on yourself, whether it be your mindset, career, education, appearance, etc. This topic has come up in many of the conversations between us two, and I think that it is so crucial to be aware of your thoughts and feelings, and why you are feeling a certain way.

Often times, we wake up and things aren’t going our way already. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep the night before, or maybe you got into a fight with your parents or boyfriend/girlfriend, or maybe you’re just straight up grumpy because you’re not a morning person. Knowing these negative vibes is the first step to improving yourself. When you address negativity, try to look deeper behind the problem instead.

The small spark or incident might be the match to ignite your anger or negativity, but know that there is almost always an underlying feeling. Is it an insecurity that you’re facing? Not digging what someone said or acted to you? Stress?

Communication is key for your well-being, and some people don’t really realize this because they push their feelings away. I admit that I am guilty of doing that as well, but something I have personally been working on is listening to myself. With improved internal communication, your self love will grow and the relationships around you will blossom. Whether it be body acceptance, thinking of what you have in your life rather than what you don’t have, or just you doing you – every small step counts towards a big self improvement puzzle.

Communication is key for those around you too. After you have addressed your own feelings and needs, you are able to communicate more efficiently with those you care about and figure out underlying problems. You know what you want and you know how you feel, so now you will know how to fix your problems.

Compared to a year ago, I definitely feel that my mindset and my outlook on life has changed dramatically. I am in a much better place with myself mentally, than I’ve ever been before. It is such a liberating feeling to finally be at peace with myself. I’ve become more mature and have decided to change my mindset, and have not looked back since.

Of course, there definitely are, and will be, days that make positive thinking a daunting task. But I can’t stress how important positive thinking and being in-tune with yourself is. Everyday is a step towards improving yourself, in order to make the most of this beautiful thing we call life.

Merry Christmas from my blog to you, my fellow reader! I hope your day will be/has been filled with fun, family, and great food!I have been trying to keep busy with all the Christmas festivities thus far … Christmas movie marathon, baking Christmas treats, and going to see the beautiful city lights in my amazing city, Vancouver, in Canada. This picture above was taken in downtown by the water. I still have a few locations that I want to check out before everything is taken down!

Andddd here is another picture of me bundled up, I call this my black marshmellow outfit because I look very puffy but it keeps me nice and warm. My toque also makes me look like a pom pom. This was taken at one of Vancouver’s big city gardens, where they have an elaborate light show every year. Probably my favourite Christmas event to go to!

Have a wonderful day and talk soon! Merry Christmas again to you all!
-Carmen

Hello everyone! So far, I have written a post on holiday gift ideas for friends and holiday gift ideas for the boyfriend. It is now time for holiday gift ideas for parents! These ideas will be ideal for both mothers and fathers. The cost of these presents are a tad bit higher than previous suggestions I had, but I do have an awesome DIY idea at the end for all those with a tight budget. Can you tell I love writing these posts? =)Portable massager:How often do we hear our parents complaining about sore muscles or sore bones? Consider gifting a portable massager! These are much more convenient, cheaper and lighter to use compared to a massage chair.

Actually come to think of it, my family is really big on massagers… we have one that looks like the picture, a foot massager, a wand massager, and a massage chair. Is it just an Asian thing?

Technology has evolved so much that wireless neck massagers are a thing now too!

Knife set: Chances are, your parents like to cook at home so why not upgrade their existing knives with something fancy and useful like this? Some of these knife sets also indicate which type of food that it is meant for, which is really helpful if you or a sibling decide to cook and are not sure which knife to use.

A knife set is also very visually appealing and adds a sense of professionalism and talent in the kitchen. Visitors will think that your house is a grade A restaurant!

Tablet: If you have a high budget, a tablet is a great way to introduce them to the new era of smartphones, tablets, and apps… they’ll probably get so addicted to playing Candy Crush that they forget to tell you to do your tasks 😉

For those that have parents with bad eyesight or need reading glasses, a tablet is also a great idea as the screen is pretty big!

Staycation: Another great option would be to rent out a hotel room for your parents for a night. They’re probably always exhausted from being around you and/or your siblings, and could really use some time away to unwind and relax.

If you have siblings and you split the cost of a hotel room for them, it wouldn’t be that expensive either. You could even add in some massage or catering services that the hotel offers as well.

Isn’t the view from the Fairmont Pacific Rim beautiful? Sigh, if I had money, that is where I would go for a staycation… I mean, just imagine waking up to that view.

DIY: All of my ideas so far cost money, but here is a great and cute DIY gift for your parents! Find an old baby picture that they took of you, and re-create the same picture now. Guaranteed to get a good laugh and remind them of how long they have raised you for.

I think I’m going to do this for my present this year since my parents don’t really like receiving store bought gifts (they think it’s a waste of money and that I should be saving up, typical Asian parents haha)

Well, I hope that these ideas help you in the search of presents for your parents. Personally, my family isn’t big on gift giving and I normally receive Chinese red envelopes instead of presents. I remember my dad gave me a big stereo when I was around 7 or 8, and I used that thing for a good ten years before I retired it. That was how I first started listening to the radio and began collecting CDs of my favourite singers as a child. But it has so much sentimental value to me that I can’t bear to throw it away, it just sits in the living room now.

What are some of your favourite presents that you have received from your parents?

Yesterday’s post on Holiday Gift Ideas for friends under $15 was so fun that I had to come up with another one today! Today’s post will be on holiday gift ideas for the boyfriend. Now I know that some of you may not have a boyfriend, but most of these gifts could be easily given to a male friend or family member in your lives as well.

I bought the boyfriend’s Christmas present back in October, so I’m a bit sad that I am missing out on the fun and excitement of picking out a holiday gift… so I’ll just live vicariously though these gifts and pretend that I am giving these to him as well 🙂 But, here are some gift ideas in case you are still wondering on what to get.

52 Reasons Cards:This might be more of a Valentines or anniversary style present, but I think it’s really cute nonetheless and I say that any day is a great day to be romantic (Can you tell I’m a hopeless romantic cheese ball yet?) You might have seen these around before, but the idea of them is really sweet and simple. Taking a deck of cards, you then write down 52 reasons why you love your partner. This is also a very inexpensive present! (Picture from Pintrest)

Although this gift is very simple and easy to make, it can carry a lot of meaning as the giver has taken a lot of time, thought, and consideration into constructing each card. Since it’s a creative gift, it’s also unique and one of a kind as you can include inside jokes, adventures, and memories that only you two share as a couple.

Spice rack:This next idea is perfect for the man that loves to cook. Take an interest in his hobbies and get him a spice rack! You could even go further and fill it up with some of his favourite or most popular spices that he loves to cook with.

I never used to cook with spices until seeing the boyfriend cook with them so often. Now, I can’t imagine certain dishes without oregano, cayenne, or basil. Spices really add a lot of flavour and dimension to what can be bland dishes, and are low in fat too.

If you both have more of a savoury tooth than sweet tooth, all the more reason to consider getting a spice rack.

You could also include a cook book full of recipes that the two of you could discover together. What a great date night that would be. 🙂

Beer bouquet: A few months ago, my friend Katie over at Procinspiration posted this and I loved the idea of this so much! If your man is a beer drinker, rack up those girlfriend points and create a customized beer bouquet for him!

Not only is this such a sweet and caring idea, but I guarantee he will love it. We always talk about how girls love flower bouquets, well, here is a male version of that!

After spray painting a bucket, Katie filled up her beer bouquet with a variety of different beers, pepperoni sticks, and chocolate. The world is yours with what you decide to put in it.

Sweaters:I’m not saying all males, but some males I know do not like to go shopping for clothes. If your boyfriend is one of those males, do him a favour and take the time to go shopping for a warm winter sweater.

Chances are, females are more knowledgeable when it comes to shopping (unless you’re a stylish man, than all props and power to you) and know what type of materials are good quality and will keep him warm. Whereas most men, not so much.

Splurge on a warm winter sweater for him, and he will thank you. Plus, you also don’t want to be hugging a freezer right? 🙂 I found this pug sweater while browsing on Pintrest, and thought it was very cute. If I hadn’t gotten the boyfriend a present yet, I would have definitely ordered this right away.

Baked goods: With Christmas time, comes delicious holiday pastries such as these peppermint sugar cookie bars. For those of you who have a boyfriend with a sweet tooth, a great idea would be to bake up some delicious pastries for him to munch on.

Looking for this recipe? Check out Eatmunchlove’s instructions on how to bake these plus more holiday themed recipes!

As with most of these gifts, they are suitable to give year round and are not necessarily holiday themed. If you like to surprise your boyfriend with spontaneous gifts, these are some inexpensive ways to show your appreciation and love for him. Think of ways to customize these presents to your own taste, and know that he would enjoy!